'File 14/115 VII Annex (B 9) Abu Musa oxide: collected background material on the case' [‎55r] (120/1904)

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.CLe above has nela good and no further documentary agreement has since been
necessary, un the conclusion of it Sheikh Salim came lo live in Shargah as his
nep icvv b adviser and for some years past the two have been the best of friends, so
much so that when stjieikh Sagar leaves his head-quarters, which he not infrequently
does, he always leaves his uncle to officiate in the Government of Shargah, as he did,
tor instance, on his departure for the Mecca pilgrimage in 1897-8.
It was on return from the said pilgrimage in 1898 that his uncle informed him of
the grant of the Abu Musa Oxide Concession; when, in view of the fact that since the
reduction of his pension from 600 to 400 dollars. Sheikh Salim had always been
complaining of^ the paucity of his income, Sheikh Sagar as an act of generosity
decided to let his uncle enjoy the 2o0 dollars annual rent fixed for the Concession and
thereby cease to have cause for further discontent.
'' rom first to last, howe ver, Sheikh Sagar's acquiescence in his uncle's enjoyment
o! the produce and income of the island in question, has been purely a personaTand
verbal arrangement^ which SheikE Sagar might, at any time, have terminated had he |
chosen to do so. No deed whatever, according to the statements of the two Sheikhs
themselves, has ever been given by Sheikh Sagar to his uncle in regard to this island,
although the Island of Sir Abu Nuair did find mention in the second Agreement as
above mentioned, dropping out again in the third and last because it had never brought
in any income.
Stronger proof of the status of the island could hardly be wanted than the
declarations furnished by the two Sheikhs themselves.
(Signed) P. Z. COX.
February 28, 1908.
No. 7.
Sheikh Sag ar-h i n-Kh a lid to
(After compliments.) 1320 11, 1902),
I have the honour to state that I have received your letters of the 10th March
and 30th June, 1902, regarding the mines of salt and red oxide in the island of
Sir Bu Nuair. No Agreement between us and Nakhoda Ali Ahmed Saleh took
place, and no document in writing was executed upon that subject. With regard
to Abu Musa, my uncle Sheikh Salim-bin-Sultan cultivates in that island, and in
the year in which I went on the Hajj, my aforesaid uncle was acting as my regent
("kaim muqam ") in Shargah, and he saw fit to lease the mines of Abu Musa to
Hassan-bin-Samayieh, a British subject, and Abdallah-bin-Hassan and Esa-bin-
Abdul Latif, and the lease has remained up to now. I think your agent Abdul
Latif must have informed you about it. This is what had to be written.
No. 8.
Sheikh Sagar- bin-K ha lid Samayieh.
[Inclosure 12 of German Case.]
(Translation.)
(After compliments.) 1325 1907).
I have to inform you that Esa-bin-A.bdul Latif has preferred a complaint to me in
connection with the red oxide mines on Abu Musa, which for some years have been
leased in the names of yourself and Esa-bin-Abdul Latif and your son Abdullah,
according to the deed executed on the 18th Zilkaideh, 1315 (21st April, 1899). He
has sent me a copy of the deed of contract in operation between you and M. Wonckhaus,
and complains that you executed this contract without consulting him, and that lie
does not agree to the conditions written in the contract now that he has come to
know them. I, too, do not agree to this contract at all, and as for you, you had
no right to give a contract in this fashion and bind yourself to give away possession
of the whole output of red oxide to others for a long period and without consulting
us or making the slightest reference to us. And, according to our view, harm will
accrue to us from the continuance of this Concession in your hands in connection
[1598] K